ROUND LAB 1025 DOKDO TONER Instead of using the real sea water to treat acne, like people on TikTok (seriously??!!), this toner contains sea water that has been processed specifically for skin. It also contains panthenol to reduce irritation and allantoin (which I personally prefer than Centella Asiatica) to soothe the skin, especially acne prone skin. Price IDR 155K for 200ml
S NATURE AQUA SQUALANE WRINKLE MOISTURIZING CREAM Impressive ingredients list for a complete skin barrier moisturizer. Two of the top fives are squalane which acts as emollient, and glycerin as humectant. Because I try to save lately, I opt for a moisturizer which have both humectant and emollient in it, so I don’t have to purchase two separate moisturizers for my night time routine (FYI, I skip moisturizer step in the morning to prevent maskne). Price IDR 350K for 80ml
MISSHA AQUA SUN GEL SPF50+ PA++++ If you’ve been following me long enough, you’d know that I love my SkinAqua sunscreen. Time to try something new, which relatively easier to find locally. It is categorized as chemical sunscreen, with glacial water as one of the hero ingredient. Yes, it still contains Alcohol Denat and Silica (which can be drying for some), but I do like the matte effect on my oily skin. Price IDR 139K for 50ml (bought it on sale)
So my dream bra would have lifting & support purposes but does not add volume, wide sides to cover up side fats, look elegant with delicate laces, but non-irritating for my sensitive skin.
Enter FELANCY FULL SECRET BRA from FELANCY INTIMATE, one of my favorite lingerie brand (they also have comfortable sleeping wear) with premium materials. I am a true believer that the best bra should be supportive, comfortable, and help to enhance our ‘assets’.
Well, these bras ticks all the boxes. Underwired for support, they’re also non-padded, so I believe they’re also great for big busts. Trust me, it’s hard to find a bra that is both comfortable and pretty, but these does just that. Try it yourself, and you may just change your bra wearing experience for the better.
You can purchase these directly from their website https://www.felancy.co.id and use my code SHINTAXFELANCY to get special promo (IDR50K discount for IDR150K purchase).
Thought I’d be sharing you guys my current PM routine during these never ending #stayathome nights.
Disclaimer: this isn’t a one-size-fits-all routine. Remember, you know your own skin best!
First Cleanser: SULWHASOO GENTLE CLEANSING OIL Even though I didn’t wear makeup anymore since the pandemic began, but I still apply sunscreen in the morning. And I do feel it’s necessary to clean sunscreen with cleansing oil, even though I haven’t found cleansing oil or balm that are safe for fungal acne. But the trick is to rinse the first cleanser well with warm water then quickly continue to the next cleanser.
Second Cleanser: VANICREAM GENTLE FACIAL CLEANSER My new HG cleanser, for sure. I prefer gentle cleanser with the main and basic purpose, to cleanse. Yes, leave the actives on other products such as serum or ampoule. Gentle cleanser won’t strip our natural oil and disrupt skin’s microbiome that can cause irritation. Just use gentle cleanser like this if you are active with actives (you know what I meant right?).
Toner: ABILL FIRST STARTING TONER Again, a simple toner with very minimal ingredients list. I use the exfoliating toner for morning skincare routine, but never on nighttime. Because I will use prescription strength treatment, I try to keep the basic steps basic. I use cotton pad and never leave it dry until next step.
Moisturizers: VICHY MINERAL 89 SKIN FORTIFYING DAILY BOOSTER & KRAVE BEAUTY OAT SO SIMPLE WATER CREAM With skin half damp because of the toner, I apply Vichy first then Krave. Great layers of hydration and emollient to make my skin ready for the next powerful stuffs.
Treatment: EVALEN KRIM ADAPALENE 0,1% &VITACID 0,05% RETINOIC ACID CREAM I can imagine if I don’t layer my moisturizers, I will end up ruining my skin since I use these two prescription strength treatment. Both are local brands, and it worked like a charm if you know how. I’m glad I took these while staying at home most of the time during the pandemic. And I guess seeing the result on my skin (bye clogged pores), I’ll use these continuously just to maintain.
Apologies for such long hiatus. Writer’s block, LOL.
In this post, I’ll share you what I currently use for morning skincare routine after using Adapalene & Retinoic Acid at night.
FYI, Adapalene & Retinoic Acid are two prescription-strength creams that will definitely open our pores, but they won’t exfoliate them. We still need help from exfoliating actives like AHA or BHA, in the morning. You can choose only one active in one product (like toner only or serum only), but if your skin can stand it, go all the way from toner to serum.
CLEANSER/MORNING MASK: SEBAMED CLEAR FACE ANTI BACTERIAL CLEANSING FOAM Contains Montaline C40 that will zap acne bacterias and Panthenol.
SERUM: DUVADERM CLARIFYING SERUM This contains 0,5% Molecular BHA
MOISTURIZER: SEBAMED CLEAR FACE CARE GEL & KRAVE OAT SO SIMPLE WATER CREAM As you know I’m on my 3 Step Moisture Method, that’s why I’m using double moisturizer after natural moisturizer which is water. Steer clear of any actives in the moisturizers’ ingredients lists.
SUNSCREEN: SKIN AQUA UV SUPER MOISTURE GEL SPF 50+ PA++++ It has been my HG because it didn’t trigger my Fungal Acne & Comedo.
Disclaimer: I live in Jakarta, Indonesia with (you can say) a limited skincare products legally available in our retails.
Luckily, we do have market places choices with online stores that carry imported skincare brands. We just have to make sure they are legit and not fake. I do have some recommendations for online stores in market place that I usually purchased from, please feel free to DM me on my IG @shintarosvita.
Back to the topic, for those who asked me on products that they can easily get (especially for Fungal-Acne rookies out there) this one’s for you. Basically all you need is a good cleanse (first and second ones), toner, treatment and sunscreen.
If your Fungal-Acne is relatively new, I do recommend you to stay out of makeup until they heal. But if you have to put on makeup anyway, look for non-waterproof makeup and sunscreen, so you don’t have to use cleansing balm or oil as a first cleanser. Opt for cleansing water instead to remove your makeup (except for eyes, you might need a specific eye makeup remover).
BIODERMA SENSIBIO H2O
Being a number one choice for me for such a long time, before they are legally available in Indonesia. Removes makeup like a charm and it feels like swiping your makeup away with water without leaving any oily residue. But still needs to wash with second cleanser and water, okay. Where to buy: Drugstores
PYUNKANG YUL ACNE FACIAL CLEANSER
It didn’t foam up much, but I love how it cleans comfortably. Comes in a milky-gel texture and without fragrance, this is a great second cleanser for Fungal-Acne prone skin. Where to buy: Style Korean Indonesia
SIMPLE SOOTHING FACIAL TONER
No fuzz daily toner. Feels like water without tackiness and will lift any leftover from your first and second cleanser. Where to buy: I believe they sold this exclusively at Guardian Indonesia.
ACNE FELDIN LOTION
Combat fungal acne like a champ with sulfur. And this lotion contains 6.6% of Precipitated Sulphur. Where to buy: Pharmacies
SKIN AQUA UV MOISTURE MILK SPF50+ PA+++
You know how hard it is to find sunscreen that are safe for Fungal Acne, right? No worries, this sunscreen is safe, super affordable and doesn’t leave white cast. Where to buy: Drugstores
HAPPY 2020, y’all. The very first post on a new year.
I’m so looking forward to try and review more local brands this year. Watch out for this space!
Just launched last year, SOMETHINC already has their Halal Certification. And thanks to Irene from IG @beautyhaulindo for sending me their skincare products to try and review.
I guess The Ordinary really set the bar for many skincare brands to develop high quality and honest ingredients with super affordable prices. These remind me a lot of The Ordinary, right from the glass pipette bottles to the ingredients. Affordably priced at IDR115k a pop, they are all fungal-acne safe. Just remember, even though the ingredients sound so legit, you won’t see any instant result after using these. Everything takes time, dear.
AHA BHA PHA PEELING SOLUTION Claim: Help to clean clogged pores, remove dead skin cells & maintain skin moisture level. OK, judging from the look and feel, it really reminds me of The Ordinary AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution. The difference? The percentage of the acids. This only has 3% of AHA, 1% BHA and 2% of PHA. The rest is a great combination of Niacinamide, Sodium Hyaluronate and Panthenol. I do recommend this for those who have sensitive skin like me, but want to experience the chemical peeling sensation at home. How to use? Make sure your skin is clean and completely dry. Apply evenly and avoid eyes area. Then wait for 10 minutes max and rinse with warm water, continue with your regular skincare routine. Just treat this like your weekly facial mask. My suggestion: Try once a week first. Then if your skin can tolerate it, apply twice a week.
NIACINAMIDE + MOISTURE BEET SERUM Claim: boosts barrier function by increasing ceramide production and fight free radicals & moisturize the skin. Same percentage of Niacinamide like The Ordinary (10%), but this contains Beet Extract from Swiss. Texture wise, its’ texture is thicker than The Ordinary but didn’t clump under makeup (which is a good thing). If you want to lessen the thick feel, use it after a mist toner while your skin is half dry. If you are not used with high percentage of Niacinamide, try using this once a day instead of thrice a day like suggested.
HYALURONIC B5 Claim: Promotes a maximum moisture, helps soften and brighten dull skin and make skin looks more supple and healthy. This is very similar to The Ordinary, except this contains Butylene Glycol (might trigger comedo). Texture is thinner than The Ordinary, with no scent. It’s just like water, a good one. This is my go-to serum after applying Retinol. It seems to calm down my skin after harsh actives. And for sure, you can layer this with their Niacinamide + Moisture Beet, or apply this after rinsing that AHA BHA PHA Peeling Solution.
Shout out to C&F Store Indonesia and Cremorlab Indonesia for sending me their latest three products to try & review.
It’s my first encounter with this Korean beauty brand. I googled them and their story is quite simple (like all their packaging). It all began with a very special water, which they trade marked as T.E.N water. This special water starts back about 260 million years ago, located deep in the mountains of the Taebaek range, approximately 1,100 meters below sea level. And this reddish glow water, finally appeared in year 2003. Rich in minerals, T.E.N water has unique beauty energy to care for sensitive skin. OK, I am sold at the term sensitive skin. Let’s jump in to the review, shall we?
BRIGHTENING TONE-UP CREAM
This is my first tone-up cream, just because I believe I didn’t need any help on instant brightening. But hey, there’s always a first time for everything. Other than T.E.N water, this tone-up cream contains pearl powder, fermented rice and rice wine. They recommend to apply a small amount at the last step of skin care routine. First of all, I love the glass jar packaging and the expensive scent (well, it is quite expensive. It costs IDR 750k for a 50ml). Its’ texture is opaque and thick but very easy to absorb once applied and didn’t leave any stickiness.
I believe this is a good moisturizer/primer that just makes everything look better. But, for those who have fungal-acne prone skin, better watch out for ingredients like Stearic Acid and Shea Butter, which can trigger them. Tips: use sparingly when you need it most.
O2 COUTURE OXYGENIC PEELING MASK
Now, I’m excited for this one. Lately, been into bubble mask, and this also bubbled up and exfoliate. Its’ like earth, air and water meet in a product, thanks to the unique ingredients’ list. Beside T.E.N mineral water, it also contains Wintergreen, a natural plant-based ingredient (also known as a natural Salicylic Acid) for mild peeling purpose, and Marine Oxygen Plasma (an active oxygen circulator that helps oxygen penetrate deep within the skin).
It comes with a convenient and pump bottle. And I love how the light blue gel quickly transformed into bubble foam within seconds. Apply on clean and dry skin, wait for three minutes and rinse off. Then continue with your skincare routine. I believe my skin looks brighter and smoother (feels) after one use only.
Even though it’s not safe for fungal-acne, this is a wash-off once a week product, so I’m fine with it. And it feels like light fluffy cloud on my face, so yes I’m loving it! Priced at IDR 550k for 100ml bottle
AQUA O2 SHIELD
Unlike any UV Protection I’ve tried, this doesn’t just blocks ultraviolet rays. It also protects against blue light, thanks to their Cloud Skin Shield formula. Yes, it is interesting, because it can protect our skin from the light from our laptop, cell phone and LED lighting fixtures.
The good thing, this does not leave a white cast, so I believe this will work best for all skin tone, including dark ones. It’s so easy to apply and finishes with a light, non-sticky feeling on the skin. Great under makeup, too! Is it safe for fungal-acne? Unfortunately not, because it has Polysorbate 80 and Sorbitan Oleate on the ingredients’ list. But, this shall sit on the very last step of your skincare, so should be fine. Priced at IDR550K for 50ml tube
Now you can get this range of Cremorlab online here, or at C&F Stores.
It has been
a while since I did the top 3 post, just because I rarely use more than one
product from the same brand. But surprise, surprise….
Here’s my top 3 products from the brand recently bought by Shiseido’s group: DRUNK ELEPHANT. Please note that I don’t use it together at once.
PEKEE BAR Frankly speaking, I don’t mind using bar format on my face. Yes, it’s quite a hassle and you have to be careful not to drop it on your bathroom floor or it might catch germs. But, try this and you’ll know why I love it that much. I love the luxurious foam it created, the light honey scent and the clean after-feel. So far I haven’t met anything even close to it, so I already keep on repurchasing and restocking.
BESTE NO 9 JELLY CLEANSER Unfortunately, it will be hard to bring bar format on the go. So this is my go-to when I travel. It ‘s 100% free of essential oils, silicones and fragrance. People use this to clean makeup, but since I prefer double cleansing to do so, I use this as my second cleanser. I love lathering it up, it is such a great cleanser.
T.L.C FRAMBOOS GLYCOLIC NIGHT SERUM Since it’s not safe for fungal acne, I only apply this for spot treatment. But if you don’t have any trouble with fungal acne, go ahead and slather it all over your face daily. Yes, daily, even though it contains AHA and BHA from different types, it delivered a mild and effective level of chemical exfoliation. No dryness, no harsh peeling.
There’s the
one sure thing that I can tell you before I go in details: Both are Fungal-Acne
safe.
First, let
me start with Glossier. This is my third bottle, so I guess you can tell that I
like it that much. This serum goes after essence step on my AM routine. Why AM
(you might ask)? Because it is rare to find a serum that works well beneath
everything. And this works like a charm beneath everything, skincare and makeup
included. Yes this is one of my absolute skin-vestment.
Priced at
IDR490K (at trustable online shop here in Indonesia) for 15ml, it is expensive
but the hero ingredients: niacinamide and zinc really helped my problematic
skin. It helped my skin clear and reduce breakouts significantly. Unfortunately,
the company didn’t state how many percentage of Niacinamide used in this HG
serum. But no worries, if your skin is familiar with this form of vitamin B3,
you won’t have any problem at all.
OK, let’s
move on to Paula’s Choice. To tell you the truth, this is my first product from
this brand. I read some good reviews about it, so I decided to purchase it from
a reputable market place in Indonesia. They named this booster, but I used it with
my essence in the evening as PM routine. Why so? Unlike Glossier, this is way
tackier if use alone. It is sticky (almost like glue), but not oily or filmy.
You can certainly feel the stickiness, even after tapping for a while. Yup, it
is less comfortable compared to Glossier. But then I learned along the way,
they do recommend to mix this with other serum or moisturizer. So I did mix it
with my essence and voila! It didn’t feel sticky anymore. Bonus: this is the
right booster if you want to achieve that glass skin look.
Priced at IDR550K
(at trustable online shop here in Indonesia) for 20ml, it is more expensive
than Glossier, but contains 5ml more serum. Unlike Glossier, this has 10
percent concentration of niacinamide (quite an impressive dose).
THE DIFFERENCES:
Glossier
recommended to use only once a day, meanwhile Paula’s Choice can be applied
twice a day. For me, I apply Glossier in the morning, and Paula’s Choice in the
evening.
Glossier is
more viscous compared to Paula’s.
Packaging. I
like Glossier more because it’s transparent bottle so I can prepare to purchase
another one before it’s finish.
SIMILARITY:
Clear
texture
Price (both
are expensive, but IMHO worth every drop)
Odorless
Nice pipet
bottle that looks pretty on the vanity (instagramable, too!)
Satisfying result, clearer and smoother skin (less acne popping up).
Manufactured in the US (see, not all of my skincare products are from Korea).
These
certainly made ripples in the makeup world. New brow product features two
shades (one darker and one lighter) in one pencil, with marble-like textures
(look closely and you shall find).
They come in
a nice box (sorry I forgot to take the pic of the box), complete with
instructions on how to use the pencil and a sharpener. Available in two shades,
Marble Grey and Marble Brown. Priced at IDR139K a pop, I think it’s a
reasonable price, considering they come with spoolie brush at the other end of
the pencil and a sharpener (made in Germany).
Even though
I had my eyebrows embroidered by the one and only Anggie Rassly who collaborate
with Lakme to create these gorgeous looking pencils, I still use eyebrow pencil
daily to accentuate them. And I like my eyebrow pencil to: last all day (who
touch up their eyebrows, seriously?), slightly waxy and hard, doesn’t break
easily and looks as natural as possible. Of course, Lakme Absolute Reinvent X
Anggie Rassly Precision Marble Brow Pencil checked all my boxes.
I use Marble Brown for natural everyday lookMarble Grey for special occasion, because it is bolder.
Go buy this if you like:
user
friendly eyebrows pencil
using
spoolie brush that comes with the pencil
sharpened
eyebrows pencil
natural
looking eyebrows
Where to buy? Lakme boutiques (Central Park & Senayan City, Jakarta), department stores, local cosmetic stores and online
shintarosvita 
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